Fallout First Contact
by WastelandWendigo
Summary: Protheans found man and saw potential. But an enemy came for them, and so their eyes turned away from the small blue planet called Earth. Millennium passed and Humanity's potential proved more deadly than anyone had imagined. That small blue planet was bathed in fire and radiation, destroying a once thriving society. Now others have found them, and their intentions are far darker.
1. Prologue

**First chapter, well prologue, of first story ever! It's just a taste of an idea I had when reading some Mass Effect X Fallout crossovers. Also Fallout 4! Yeah, just really excited for that. Anyway I guess I should put in some sort of disclaimer here... So here you go.**

 **I own nothing that seems even vaguely recognizable from the Mass Effect series or Fallout. They belong to whoever it is they belong to, and it's definitely not me. I'm also making no money off of this, and really what are the chances of that ever happening?**

 **There, hopefully that's good enough to prevent my story's immediate termination. If not, well, enjoy it while it lasts. Onward!**

* * *

"In other news, celebrations are being planned for the anniversary of the end of the Rachni Wars. Many council worlds, particularly Asari and Salarian colonies, will hold victory parades to commemorate the defeat of the invading Rachni. In a rare admission of debt, several Asari colonies have invited Krogan to be honored for the victories the uplifted people made possible. According to some sources..."

Tela Vasir, veteran Asari commando and Spectre, tuned the rest of the exposé out as she leaned against the inside of the annoyingly slow elevator. "Thousands of years' worth of technological progress and we still can't make these damn things go any faster." She sighed and crossed her arms. She'd just left central booking in C-Sec headquarters and she wasn't in the best mood.

As the news station signed off, a litany of irritating sounds masquerading as music began to stream out of the speakers and Tela had to stop herself from tossing a Warp field at the ceiling. Beside her fellow Spectre, Nihlus Kryik, stood placidly his mandibles parted in amusement at her obvious vexation. "Come now Tela, you can't still be brooding over that smuggler's little... surprise, can you?"

The temperamental Asari turned a withering glare onto the innocent looking Turian at her side, wishing that biotics really could skin people alive with just a glance.

As Nihlus continued to meet her gaze with insufferable patience Tela huffed and covertly scratched at her scalp crests. "I still can't believe that greasy little bastard booby trapped his stock with itching powder. I mean really, who does that!?" She gave her head one last rub to banish the lingering sense of humiliation. She'd thought the mysterious powder was some kind of biological weapon at first. Which had led her to scrambling into the nearest de-con station, like some green maiden just out of basic. When her armor's sensors had reported the powder's actual composition she'd been both relieved and mortified.

Nihlus shrugged and activated his Omni-tool. "Well according to the follow up investigation that freighter contained enough red sand to get half of the wards as high as a colonial cloud seeder." He swiped a talon across the screen and continued reading. "There were also a few hundred units worth of expired meds repackaged to look like new. If those had hit the station, we'd probably be seeing a health crisis as bad as the time that Hanar dumped toxic waste into Zakera's water filters." He deactivated his tool and gave Tela a small Turian smile "Unorthodox defense systems aside, I'd say the operation was quite a success."

Tela closed her eyes and forced herself to relax her muscles. Nihlus was right. C-Sec had been trying to track down the source of 'discount' medical supplies for months with no success. That, along with an alarming rise in red sand circulation, had been enough to make the Council assign agents to the case personally. She still thought two Spectres was a bit overkill, but things had been quiet on the galactic stage lately, so it's not like she had anything better to do. "Fine you win. Now wipe that smug look off your face before I show you just how powerful a Throw I can sling!"

Nihlus nodded once before turning away just in time to step through the elevator's open door. Tela would have sworn to a Matriarchal review board that she heard him mutter something like "Turian discipline one, Asari diplomacy zero."

Tela stalked after her comrade grumbling under her breath all the way "You cheeky, puffed up, shiny-assed, little-" Tela cut herself off with a deep breath before she could further tarnish her dignity as an experienced and highly decorated member of the Asari military. "Just you wait Nihlus. Next time I get you alone you'll see just how 'diplomatic' I can be."

The two of them stopped at a rapid transit station and Nihlus hailed a shuttle. While they waited Tela's tool chimed and an ID screen popped up. Nihlus glanced at it before asking "Barla Von? Isn't that the Volus banker that doubles as an agent for the Shadow Broker?"

Tela read the short message as she answered "Yeah, I've worked with him a few times in the past. He forwards me Intel when he thinks it would catch my interest." She furrowed her brow as she spotted the short vid-file that Barla had attached. It wasn't so much the video itself as its label that caused her to frown. "Pseudo-Asari? By the goddess, what does that even mean?"

Just then a shuttle hovered into place and Nihlus opened up the driver's side door. "Well you still want to grab a bite to eat or..." he gestured at the still active tool.

Tela considered her options carefully. On one hand she was getting pretty hungry, on the other Barla had never wasted her time with a bad tip. His office was also within walking distance of C-Sec. She heaved one final sigh before waving Nihlus off. "You go ahead. I'd better get this out of the way."

He nodded once more before moving into the driver's seat "Alright I guess I'll see if Saren's free. Last time we talked he said he wanted to meet up and," Nihlus held his hands up and made air quotes while dropping his voice a few octaves "talk about the future" he shrugged a resumed talking normally "whatever that means."

Tela hummed noncommittally. She had nothing against the aforementioned Turian, but a few years ago something about him had changed. Rumor among the senior agents said it had something to do with his brother. "See you later Nihlus, don't do anything stupid" She smirked mischievously before continuing "you know, like pissing off an Asari Justicar."

The Turian paused abruptly, only half closing the shuttle's door, before turning a suspiciously blank face her way. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Tela shrugged and turned back to the Presidium's main concourse "Sure you don't Nihlus, but just in case you were wondering, I hear she was very impressed with your creativity and... stamina. But she was a little peeved when you ditched her."

Nihlus eye's widened "I- but... look I don't know who you've been talking to but she!"

She raised a hand cutting him off as she looked him up and down. Before he could say anything else she shook her head and gave him her best 'I'm judging you' face "Two. Hot. Sweaty. Weeks." Nihlus sputtered as she sauntered away "Well drive safe, traffic gets crazy around this time of day." Mood considerably improved, Tela melted into the chaos of bustling Citadel society.

A few minutes later she stepped off onto a less crowded path that would lead her right to Barla's door. She decided to watch the video as she walked. So, looking around to see if she had some privacy, she muted the audio and hit play.

After only a few seconds in she recognized the scene and grimaced in disgust. The video showed a Batarian slave auction in a dimply lit showroom. A few poor souls who looked drugged to the gills were paraded out in front of a shouting crowd before being yanked off to their unfortunate destiny. When the Hegemony got you there was virtually no way to track you down, even with the help of the Shadow Broker. This video's very existence was a small miracle.

After the third slave was sold off, a young looking Drell this time, the auctioneer began making dramatic gestures to a cloth covered box that was rolled onto the stage. Tela refocused, sensing that this was the real reason Barla Von had contacted her. With a final flourish the Batarian on stage pulled the cloth away, revealing something that nearly made Tela trip in shock. There, in a cage no bigger than a mid-sized shipping crate, was a small unfamiliar alien.

Well unfamiliar really wasn't the correct term. In fact it might be better to say the alien was too familiar. There, on the screen, was what looked like a pink skinned Asari with black fur growing where her crests should be. She was dressed in drab looking rags and was obviously panicking as she shrank away from the crowd. She began speaking to her captors, perhaps trying to convince them to let her go. In response the auctioneer pulled up his Omni-tool and activated some kind of program.

Tela flinched as the not-Asari started to spasm violently, knocking her head on the unyielding metal bars of her cage. The audience seemed to enjoy her suffering, as they began waving their arms toward the smiling salesman. Finally the Batarian seemed to feel that he made his point and deactivated his tool to begin the first round of bidding. Whoever was recording the video ignored this, zooming in on the still shaking alien. The last thing Tela saw before the video ended was a thin line of crimson blood running down a tear-stained face.

For the next minute or so Tela had to breathe deeply just to keep her rising bile from making her gag. The alien was so similar to an Asari in the early years of her maidenhood that she couldn't help but feel utter loathing for that Batarian and all those like him. She shook off the last of her shock before straitening her spine and striding to Barla's office with a new sense of purpose.

When she arrived she punched the manual door release without even glancing at the intercom. She stomped up to a surprised looking Salarian, seated across from a calm seeming Barla. The Volus held up a hand to Tela before entering something on his terminal, then swiftly ushering the Salarian out the door with a quiet apology. When he was settled at his desk once more, Barla began to speak in that halting fashion common amongst his people "Ah, Spectre Vasir- I wasn't expecting you to- arrive so quickly-"

Tela eyed him a bit before squaring her shoulders and simply saying "Tell me everything you can."

* * *

 **Well there it is. I hope you liked it.**

 **Obviously characters are going to be presented differently than they are in cannon. I wanted to give people more, for lack of a better term, human personalities. No one is a complete paragon of good or a psychotic renegade (see what I did there), and as such they can have completely normal reactions and interactions. Also t** **his universe has never seen humans and as a result is substantially different. A long way down the line you'll see just how different, but first we must look to more pressing concerns.**

 **Humans and Asari: In the games their obviously similarities are always just sort of ignored or glossed over. Well I thought it would be a good way of catching the attention of those long-lived blue-skinned space babes. Tela has such a strong reaction to the human girl's suffering because she subconsciously ****sympathizes with her. To the Spectre it's like seeing an Asari child being treated like trash.**

 **Batarians: If it wasn't clear enough, Batarians are assholes and they were the ones to find Earth this time around. In my head their collective ego has always sort of chafed under the Asari's position of power, and their insistence that all sapient life is equal in the grand scheme of things. So the auctioneer and his audience enjoy seeing an Asari-esque slave in pain as it helps them indulge their latent hostility. According to the Mass Effect codex Batarians have a highly stratified society with a strict caste system. Slaves are at the bottom of the system and viewed as little more than animals (which means they could be prized family pets, or just something to take out your anger and frustrations on). Not all Batarians are inherently cruel, but their society doesn't exactly foster amiable inter-species relations.**

 **Nihlus and Samara: ... ;-)**

 **Til next time.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Wow! Nearly 30 follows in just 3 days...** **I'm really surprised by how many people showed an interest in this story. I'd just like to take a moment here to say thank you. It feels good to know that what I write is actually appreciated by others.**

 **And I have reviews!**

 **fanficbrowser : Good eye there. It was exactly what I had in mind.**

 **Kudaria : Awesome! Glad you like it.**

 **Mashot Tito : I had planned to add the first two to the story. I'm not completely sure on the third but feel free to PM me if you had some idea's you'd like to share. I've also got some big plans for mystery race number 4. Can anyone guess which 'race' I'm thinking of? ;)**

 **Mister Cuddlesworth : Thanks for your interest! I hope I can deliver a unique and engaging story for you. **

**OMAC001 : Can't wait to show you!**

 **Now before we start Here's the disclaimer:**

 **I own nothing that comes from either Mass Effect, Fallout, or any other sources referenced/featured in the story below. No money is being made by this story, at least not to my knowledge. There you go.**

 **Now... Onward!**

* * *

"OW! Son of a rusty sex-bot!" Elizabeth "call me Liz" Shepherd hissed as she shook the numbness out of her hand. "Zap at me will ya?" She pulled on a pair of work gloves and gave the malfunctioning jukebox a kick for good measure. Suitably outfitted and emotionally centered... mostly, she snatched up a roll of duct tape and her trusty wrench.

"Now you listen here mister" she waded into the offending machine's guts "you do that one more time and it's the last straw!" banging and the sounds of groaning metal fill the air "I don't care how long we've known each other, I'm breaking you down for scrap." She pulled the thing's fusion battery before it could get any more bright ideas.

Elizabeth's grandfather Jim Shepherd chuckled merrily. The people sitting at the bar around him were giving Liz bemused looks for her one-sided, and slightly unsettling, conversation. It was always a treat seeing the petite redhead threaten things with dismemberment. Truly, she had the soul of a poet.

The only thing better than watching her tear something apart, both literally and figuratively, was watching her put it back together "...and then, when you're all but begging for mercy, I'll whip out the clamps..." the sound of tape being torn away follows the surprising appearance of a dead rat. "God damn it! And this is why I call you Fatso, you just can't stop gobbling up dead things! I mean really, you can't even move and you've probably got a higher kill count than I do!" A waitress grabbed a broom and casually pushed the rat's corpse out the door. Something would snatch it up before it became a problem.

"Oh, did I mention that a friend of mine could use a new capacitor? Yeah that's right, how about I just give him a call?"

Jim didn't really think she'd follow through with her threats this time around. Since she'd been formally commissioned Liz would maintain a certain degree of professionalism... but then again the old caravan driver did like to err on the side of caution. "Lizzy." As usual Jim's deep rumble of a voice seemed to grab people's attention, clearly shown as most of the early birds in the saloon glanced his way. "You calm down now ya hear? Dusty's paying us to fix his radio, not bust it up even more."

"...With a Brahmin horn and a stick of dynamite!" Liz finished as she reinserted the battery and shut the box's front panel. She switched the power on without even acknowledging Jim's words. For a moment everyone just stared at the unresponsive music player.

Before Jim could say anything else the box stuttered to life and the familiar dulcet tones of Radio New Vegas filled the room. The other customers started clapping in appreciation, prompting Liz to spin around and take a bow.

She straitened with a wink then turned towards her granddad with a cheeky grin "Aww calm down yourself gramps! Old Fatso and I just have a unique dynamic is all." she patted the now glowing jukebox "I've put way too much time and effort into keeping him going. I'm not about to throw it all out the window over a teeny-tiny electrical discharge."

Jim smiled back "Well my point still stands. Dusty's probably one of our best customers, we've got to stay on his good side." He watched Liz move around the counter and start rummaging through the fridge." Also, around half of our contracts come our way because of his recommendations. Ever since Mr. Z took control of the Mojave, people have been immigratin' from all over the NCR." He waved vaguely towards the ceiling "And Dusty's Saloon is one of the only secure stopovers along the I-15."

Liz snorted before reemerging from the fridge with a Sunset Sarsaparilla in hand. She dug around in her tool belt for some caps, handing them to the waitress at the register when she had enough. "While that may be true, that doesn't make him any less of a cheapskate."

"Lizzy..." Jim said, a slight note of warning in his voice.

She expertly brushed off his attempt to get her to use tact, and threw back her drink with a satisfied sigh "Nuka-Cola can kiss my ass." she licked her lips before continuing "Anyway If he was willing to spring for some new parts, I'd be able to do a longer lasting restoration on fatty here." she snapped her fingers, something she did when she'd just realized something "Or the air conditioner! It's always cutting out at night and even during the day sometimes." She leaned up against the wall near the front door and took another sip of sarsaparilla. "What? He can't find a regular handyman around here? I bet his customers would really appreciate it if he did."

There was a low rumble of agreement all throughout the room. Jim just gave up the argument with a shrug. As usual his outspoken little grand-baby had the right of it. But repeat business was always a good thing, so the elder Shepherd wasn't going to push Dusty to take her up on the suggestion.

"Very true hon, but he's entitled to run his business the way he sees fit. You'd do well to show his some respect while you're staying under his roof." Jim waited for her to nod then stood from his bar-stool and moved towards the back room. He needed to check in on his wife and report the successful repair. "We should be movin' on in a little while, you better collect your things."

Liz chucked her empty bottle into a bin and gave Jim a jaunty salute "Already done gramps. I'll just hang out here till we go. Swing on by when you and granny are ready."

"Alright Lizzy, shouldn't be too much longer now." Jim drawled as he ducked through the swinging doors.

"I don't know about that!" She shouted after him "Granny can really dig her heels in when a deal's not going her way!" He smiled as he strode down the stockroom's surprisingly long aisle. Once again Lizzy probably had the right of it.

The moment he got within earshot he could tell that his wife Jenna Shepherd was still negotiating with the owner of the bar. "And another thing!" The love of Jim's life was in top form today it seemed "You've got no right to complain about the speed of delivery. You still haven't paid for that crate of Bighorner jerky we brought over last month. When you've dealt with that we can talk about putting a rush on that order of maize." Jim stopped two shelves over, not wanting to put himself in the line of fire just yet.

He watched as Dan "Dusty" Walker pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. Jim couldn't suppress the smirk that pulled at the corners of his lips. Jenna, at her formidable 4 foot 5 inches, was staring down the 6 1/2 foot tall New Reno native like a mamma Death Claw protecting her clutch. She had one hand on her hip and the other digging into Dusty's chest.

"Come on Jen, you're killing me here!" He tried to step away from Mrs. Shepherd's assault, with little success. "If those supplies don't get here real soon the next bunch of settlers are gonna eat me out of house and home!" Jenna simply glanced at the fully stocked shelves on either side of them and raised an unimpressed eyebrow. Dusty cleared his throat nervously and put his hands up in surrender "Fine, Fine! You'll get your money. Just... stop looking at me like that OK." He pulled out a sack and began counting out their payment in caps. "Jeez! I always feel like I'm being hunted by a pack of Night Stalkers when you come around."

"Don't worry Dusty," Jim said, revealing himself at last "you're not alone in that regard." He sidled up to his wife and put an arm around her waist. She gave him a mock glare, but her eyes betrayed her inner mirth. She'd probably noticed him the moment he entered the room. "Oh, and Lizzy got that old Junker of yours up and running."

"Hallelujah" Dusty shot Jim a remarkably deadpan look before it dissolved into a smile. The bar owner counted out a few more caps for Jenna, passing them to her before holding out his hand. The Shepherds didn't hesitate to shake it. Thrifty nature aside, Dan Walker was a good man. He'd opened the Saloon around the same time NCR had started to push east. He had a number of nieces and nephews in the military. So when he'd heard about the so called "pacification" of the Mojave, he'd gathered up his life's savings and shipped out with the first wave as a civilian contractor.

He'd told Jim after a few too many shots of whisky that his only son had been an NCR ranger who died in the line of duty. Opening the Saloon was his way of giving the troops a place to unwind and rest their weary hearts, both to and from the front lines. Now, a decade later, he had turned a rundown little shack into a veritable oasis. It was the center of what was becoming a full-fledged settlement. Rumors said that Dusty was at the top of the list for when the NCR started looking for a mayor.

Before Dan let Jim go he leaned in for a stage whisper "Maybe next time you all roll into town can I negotiate with you instead?"

"Don't get your hopes up friend. You know who really wears the pants in this relationship" The two of them peaked at the now scowling matriarch "and it ain't me."

"That's the god's damned truth right there!" Dan said with a grin.

"Oh hush, the both of ya!" Jenna said as she smacked Jim's shoulder.

Jim just smirked at her before leaning down and catching her lips with his own. After the less than chaste kiss, Jim leaned back with a satisfied hum "you know I love you Jenny."

"Down boy, I'm not some blushing teenage girl that you can just kiss and make up with." despite her words she was smiling up at him gently.

Dan cleared his throat, far more forcefully this time, and quickly made his way back to the front "While this is all very touching, I've got to get back to work. Remember, I need those orders filled ASAP."

"And they will be. You have our word." Jenna called out to Dan's retreating form. She finished checking her newly acquired funds before tossing everything into a secure leather satchel. "We ready to get back on the road?" she asked as the two of them made their way to the bar at a far more leisurely pace.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good, how's our girl doing? She get into any trouble while I was gabbing away?"

"Aside from a little electric shock during the repair job, she was a perfect little angel."

Jenna snorted "She's far too much like her mother for that last part to be true." She stopped walking and her shoulders drooped with the echo of old pain.

Jim pulled her in close and gave her a squeeze. "Hanna died doing what any good parent would. We can only hope we brought Lizzy up right, in her stead."

"I know Jim" she sighed "But you realize just as much as I do that she's been thinking of leaving us." She breathed in her husband's familiar scent, warm leather and tobacco, "She gets that look in her eye when she thinks we can't see'."

Jim grunted in agreement "The same one she gets when she strikes up conversations with prospectors, bounty hunters, and the like. That spark of 'what if' or 'I wonder what'."

Jenna nodded "She's going to be sixteen soon. The same age Hanna was when she struck out on her own."

"Well..." Jim let out his own sigh "That's the way things are supposed to work. We won't always be around to look after her. She needs to leave the nest if she's ever gonna learn to fly."

Jenna looked at her husband with a smirk and a raised eyebrow "You've been rereading that silly book again haven't you? Parenting for the less than average Joe right?"

Jim tried his best to look stern but failed completely "I'll have you know that tips strait out of Parenting for the 'Average' Joe are what made Hanna choose me as her favorite."

Jenna let loose a throaty chuckle "And here I thought it had something to do with those late night candy eating contests."

Jim linked his arm with hers and they resumed walking "well... those might have helped out a bit now that I think on it."

 **... Scene Change ...**

As the doors shut behind Grandpa Jim Liz scampered over to his recently vacated bar-stool. The song on Fatso was just ending and she wanted a good spot to listen to the news section. When you lived on the road or out in the wastes any edge you could get could be crucial for survival. 'Knowledge is power' they used to say way back when. That was still as true today as it was then, maybe even more so. Also listening to Mr. New Vegas on the radio was one of Liz's earliest memories. She always felt a bit cheerier when he came on air.

Her musings were interrupted as the radio station changed gears. She and those around her leaned forward intently as that well-known voice drifted out of the speakers "Hello and a good morning to every one of our loyal listeners. This is Radio New Vegas and I'm your host Mr. New Vegas. We're coming to you live from our studio here on the strip and It's that time again. Time for our hourly news report that is. Keep your hands off those dials folks, this next story's important. Word's coming in from our contacts in the NCR saying that the remnants of Caesar's Legion have been attacking travelers coming in along the I-15. "

"So, what else is fucking new?" the lady to Liz's left said dryly as she took a pull from a jug of moonshine. Liz couldn't help looking the older woman over. She was covered in tattoos and had a shaved head. A wicked looking shotgun was slung over her shoulder and her overall bearing just screamed Badass. She didn't even seem a little worried about the story's implications. Elizabeth herself fidgeted a bit at the mention of Caesar's Legion. She wasn't afraid per se, but she had some personal history with them and their ilk.

"Now I know what you're thinking. You're wondering just why this sort of thing counts as breaking news."

Liz glanced over as the lady snorted "OK Joe, I'll bite."

"Word on the street is that the raiders have gotten their hands on some serious firepower." The room went suddenly quiet as everyone focused their attention on the radio. "Apparently they've ditched the throwing spears and machetes. Now they're toting around these fancy little numbers that can fold up for easy transport, and punch through armor like it's made of cheap coyote hide. Survivors stumbling into Mojave Outpost after a raid say that the guns didn't even have to be reloaded. Mr. Z led the investigating security force personally along with an NCR military delegation. They left the strip sometime yesterday, but apparently the party isn't responding to radio calls."

"Fuck..." The tattooed lady tossed a bag of caps on the bar before hefting her pack and stalking out of the saloon.

Mr. New Vegas was taking a much longer paused than usual, probably to let all of that very troubling info sink in. The Legion was bad on a good day. They would hit convoys from out of nowhere then vanish like a mirage. They were infamous for stealing cargo and snatching people up to fill their slave pens. A Legion with high tech equipment was simply a terrifying thing to contemplate. Liz could feel her heart rate rising as old memories started to claw their way out of the places she'd buried them. "Alright Liz no reason to get worked up now. It's just another day in the wastes after all." she muttered to herself as she fought off a sudden chill.

Dusty it seemed had a talent for well timed entrances and Liz was glad for the distraction. She watched him walk out of the back room and look over the crowd. "Did something happen?" he asked no one in particular.

His question went unanswered as Mr. New Vegas tuned back in "I've been hosting this show for almost 30 years now, and I've come to appreciate the good I can do from behind this here microphone." He chuckled deep in his chest "Theirs this interesting fella way out east that has a pretty catchy line about fighting the good fight or some such. I think we westerners could learn a thing or two from that ideal. So here's what I'd like to ask all of you. Keep a weather eye on the horizon, and if you find someone who could use a helping hand do what you can for them. All of us here at Radio New Vegas will do our part to keep you informed as the situation evolves." He cleared his throat and continued with a more cheerful tone. "Now here's a song that was donated to us by The Kings down in Freeside. It's one of my personal favorites so I hope it can raise your spirits in these troubling times, even if it's just for a little while."

As Mr. New Vegas faded away a slow guitar solo started to play. The guitar is followed by a piano, which itself is followed by the voice of an old-world legend. The tension in the air drains away some, as the music soothes frayed nerves. Liz tries to focus on that voice "All the words that I'll ever know. Still could not say. How much I need you so, in every way. I go wrong and you guide me. As only you can do. Hold my hand, stand beside me. I'm counting on you..."

Liz's grandparents chose that moment to return. Grandpa Jim narrowed his eyes at the still muttering patrons but Granny Jenna took one look at Liz's pale face and strode over for a reassuring hug. The Shepherd matriarch backed up after a minute but kept her hands on Elizabeth's shoulders "Lizzy? Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Liz stared into her granny's concerned emerald eyes. It was a trait shared by all three of the Shepherd women, or it was before Liz's mom... "I'm OK granny." She took a deep breath and gave her a wobbly smile "Just some news on the radio dredging up bad memories."

* * *

 **And chapter 1 is done. I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **I'll be leaving hints about past events from my crossover universe's history (Altered Game History) scattered throughout all the chapters. I'm thinking of posting another fanfic for some of my side story ideas. If you'd like to forward ideas of your own PM me. I promise to at least consider adding them to this story or another one (you will of course be given credit for your contribution).**

 **RNV Song: Elvis Presley - I'm Counting On You**

 **So... thoughts? Guesses? Criticism?**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey there and welcome to another chapter of Fallout Fist Contact!**

 **Before we start here's a BIG shout-out too the lovely Selkys for letting me use her picture 'The last dusk' as cover art for this story. She drew it for a charity art book by the name of Coloraptus. They were raising funds for the fight against Leukemia, and so I'm very honored to have the chance to display her work here.**

 **Hit up her website to check out more beautiful pieces of art. I'll put a link up on my profile.**

 **Review time!**

 **Eipok: yep, but this is fallout, bad news is just another day for them.**

 **Six Samurai: no they don't. But it's always darkest before the dawn.**

 **Now lets get the disclaimer out of the way.**

 **I own Nothing! Not the awe-inspiring Mass Effect Universe, or the gritty-yet-wonderful world of Fallout. I make no money on this story, and neither does anyone I know.**

 **There, now Onward!**

* * *

The Citadel Council was silent as Barla's video ended, a sense of nervous energy filling the private debriefing room. While it was less than professional Tela couldn't stop herself from sneaking a look at her superiors' reactions.

The Salarian councilor Valern was typing into his Omni-tool at a speed only members of his race could reach. He was probably contacting someone in the STG, or else making notes on the possibilities of genetically altered Asari. The Shadow Broker's file on him seemed to imply a degree of eccentricity and an unexpected expertise in bioengineering. Tela wouldn't be very surprised whichever one it was.

Sparatus seemed vaguely irritated, but Tela considered that the Turian default state so it was hard to guess at his thoughts. Not that it really mattered. The Broker had told her that Sparatus was little more than a puppet for the Turian Primarch. Any decisions of real importance were made on Palaven.

Tevos was perhaps the most emotive of the three, although like all politicians she kept a tight rein on her expression. Tela was over 600 years old however and thus a past master at reading people. Not to mention the little fact that Tevos was her third cousin, twice removed. She still remembered the powerful Asari as a freckled little maiden playing house at their aunt's place.

Her cousin's complexion was paler than usual and Tela could see a restrained tension in her posture. She was the first councilor to speak. "Agent Vasir, this footage is indeed troubling" She gestured towards the waiting Spectre "please tell us more about your findings."

Tela nodded and pulled the file up on her tool before speaking "My sources have been able to identify the Batarian on the video as one Charn no surname. He's apparently the head of a fairly successful slaver operation based in the Terminus Systems. There are some indications that he has contacts in the Batarian External Forces.

Sparatus interrupted Tela's report with a scoff "As if most Batarian slavers don't. Please agent feel free to speak plainly. The Batarian's have been toeing the line for far too long, and they'll lose their embassy here soon enough if I have anything to say about it."

Tevos gave her colleague a slightly admonishing look but said nothing as she waved for Tela to continue. The agent cleared her throat knowing that the next piece of information would really grab their attention. "Yes well, rumors have been circulating that his people have been making forays into the Skyllian Verge."

Sparatus straitened in his chair suddenly and looked as if his was about to shout but was cut off by Valern, the Salarian having finished whatever he was doing on his tool "STG teams monitoring Terminus activity can verify claims."

Sparatus subsided but growled "Those damned fools! They've been pushing for colonization rights in that area for years, and have been repeatedly denied. There are far too many risks in uncharted space for an unsupervised force. Now if they'd just put a stop to their supposed rogue elements," that last statement was ground out with undisguised scorn, "our security patrols could be cut back and we could start organizing more expeditions. In fact…"

Tevos nodded along with the Turian as he continued to go off on a tangent and Tela fought down a smile as she spotted her cousin's covert eye-roll. Maybe this sort of rant was even more common than she'd thought. When the Turian was done Tevos asked the next obvious question "Could this new race have been found in the Verge?"

Tela paused before responding. The last part of her report was sure to elicit an interesting response. She'd tried to find a way to deliver it without alarming the Council but had eventually given up and decided to simply lay out the facts. "Well Councilor Tevos I can't say for certain. But new Intel has made that a secondary concern."

This seemed to intrigue them all and Tela braced herself as she uploaded a data packet of stationary images to the room's holographic projector. A picture of sublime disbelief was displayed for Tela's viewing pleasure as the Council realized what they were looking at. The moment was shattered into little bits as Sparatus rose from his seat so quickly that it toppled over backward. The irate councilor began to pace and Tela's translator started to glitch out as he proceeded to introduce the room to a slew of obscure Turian curses.

Valern started to type into his tool even faster than the first time, as impossible as that seemed. He too was obviously uneasy. At least it was obvious to Tela. But this was probably less about her observational skills and more due to how she'd had a number of Salarian lovers over the years. One had even been a Dalatrass.

Tevos had finally given up on maintaining her composure and was rubbing her temples tiredly. Tela just stood at parade rest and waited for the councilors to calm down. Eventually Tevos decided enough was enough and stood. She walked to the fuming Turian and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come Sparatus we must let agent Vasir finish her report. Then we can discuss what is to be done."

Sparatus looked at her sharply before relenting with a sigh. "Yes, you're correct. I apologize for my outburst." He and Tevos retook their seats and the Turian nodded at Tela "Please continue agent."

Tela followed the command without commenting on the byplay "Well as you can see, the Batarians have been doing more than simply exploring the Verge." She looked at the slideshow being projected into the air, and a small part of her still couldn't believe what she was seeing. The first image showed a Batarian cruiser hovering near an inactive relay. The next showed the relay's rings as they began to rotate. The final shot displayed the cruiser positioning itself at a standard approach vector.

The Batarians were blatantly disregarding Citadel law by activating new relays. To know this and still go through with it was complete lunacy. It was cause for a race's Citadel membership to be revoked. Massive sanctions would be levied, and all their assets not in Batarian space would be seized by the government. The Quarian people knew just how unrelenting and thorough the Council could be when they all agreed on something. These penalties were often called overly harsh, but those regulations had been enacted after centuries of war with the Rachni. The death tolls of that time were astronomical and no one had escaped untouched.

"My sources couldn't get much more information about what happened after these pictures were taken, but they have confirmed that members of the new species began to appear mere days after that ships return. I'm still waiting for them to contact me with an update." She stopped and gave her own irritated sigh. "That is everything I was able to find. I'm sorry it's not enough to finally nail down the Hegemony."

Sparatus seemed confused "What do you mean? We have photographic evidence of them committing the crime. Very few people even know how to connect to a relay's systems, let alone figure out the activation sequence. Their government must have been involved."

Valern took this opportunity to reenter the conversation "Unfortunately agent Vasir is correct." He pointed at the images "STG's preliminary findings indicate that activation of relay 314 was very recent. Within one lunar cycle on the Batarian calendar at most. That is approximately 35 galactic standard days. Very little time to collect data." He crossed his arms in frustration "However right now only circumstantial indicators tie that ship to the Batarian Hegemony. No solid evidence exists that proves this was an officially sanctioned operation. Hegemony would deny association, claim perpetrators could have simply gotten lucky. Chances of a successful prosecution of Hegemony… low. Majority of resources have been redirected towards monitoring Batarian fleet movements and chatter."

Sparatus dug his talons into the table in front of him "The Batarian's have gone too far this time. Their reckless actions put everything we know and treasure at risk. I will not stand by and let them hide behind that damned plausible deniability Varren shit!"

Valern inclined his head slightly "There is little more we can do. Batarians very skilled at hiding their involvement in such activities. A formal investigation would simply reveal that we know of their actions. Give them time to cover their tracks."

"I don't care what it takes!" Sparatus seemed on the verge of another meltdown "We have to act immediately. Before they unleash something as bad as the Rachni!"

Tevos watched her fellow politicians argue the point back and forth before realizing that Tela was still waiting nearby. "Agent Vasir," The other councilors stopped their debate as they also remembered the Spectre's presence. "It goes without saying but the Spectres will be very busy sometime in the near future. We thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and you can expect a substantial reward for your continued diligence."

Sparatus hummed in agreement "Indeed. Despite our current inability to act upon it, the Intel you've provided will be the foundation of our campaign to put those Batarian degenerates in their place."

Valern nodded "I too would like to commend your expert handling of the situation. We owe you our gratitude as do all the citizens this esteemed body represents."

Tela inclined her head deferentially "I did my duty, nothing more." She paused as she remembered how this entire thing had started for her. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I ask what you plan to do about the new race?"

The councilors shared a few meaningful looks. Tela wondered, not for the first time, how they were able to communicate so effectively without words. Eventually Tevos responded "While verifying their wellbeing is of the utmost importance, we don't have the time or resources to help them at present. As you know the exploitation of an underdeveloped society carries penalties nearly on par with the activation of Relays. Rest assured those responsible will be brought to justice… in due time."

Tela knew that Tevos hated having to feed her that line. Her cousin was intimately aware of how Tela felt about slavery. But the situation with the relay was the more pressing issue to the galactic community, these newcomers would just have to wait. "Of course Councilor"

She tried hiding her irritation, but going by Tevos' knowing eyes she was only partially successful. "I am sorry Tela."

Unwilling to simply let it go, Tela resorted to the only option left to her. She drew herself up and injected all the determination she had into her next words "In that case, I humbly ask the council for permission to pursue a covert investigation into the origins of this new race. To scout out possible threats and ascertain the status of their society."

The two non-Asari in the room seemed slightly taken aback by Tela's uncompromising tone, but Tevos simply shook her head "I'm afraid that that isn't possible right now."

Valern nodded vigorously "While you are a perfectly capable agent Matron Vasir, we cannot risk tipping our hand to the Batarians so soon. If Batarian External Forces really are directing Charn they would have assigned one of their officers as his handler. Batarian caste system would compel such an individual to assume command of operations personally. Too risky."

Tela grit her teeth but before she could say any more, support came from an unexpected source "I for one would approve Spectre Vasir's request." At another time Tela may have laughed at the shocked looks on Tevos and Valern's faces. As things stood she was convinced they mirrored her own. Sparatus saw this and chuckled at them "What, I'm not allowed to be magnanimous?"

Tevos shook off her surprise quickly and smiled slightly towards her colleague "We were simply surprised Sparatus, it's rare for you to be so… generous. Please explain why you would agree to allow Agent Vasir to go forward with her investigation."

Sparatus cleared his throat "Before this debrief I was forwarded a preliminary report, as is standard procedure. I make it a point to read up on the personnel involved in high profile cases. This one had been tagged as such so I did a background check on Matron Vasir." He looked at Tela before he continued "I was, to put it bluntly, very impressed with her work on past cases."

Tela, still a bit stunned, just nodded and thanked Sparatus for the praise "I'm glad that I could do my part in maintaining the stability of Citadel space." Sparatus gave her a smile that made Tela feel a little bad about her earlier derogatory thoughts. It seemed he wasn't a complete blowhard after all.

Valern was once again on his Omni-tool, most likely reviewing the same documents Sparatus had alluded to "Upon further consideration I agree with Sparatus. Agent Vasir highly skilled at counterespionage and undercover work." He sent his own smile to Tela "I must thank you on behalf of the Salarian Union for your work on Nasurn. Personally grateful as well. I have family there so peace of mind priceless."

Tevos frowned as she realized that she was outnumbered. But the Asari councilor hadn't risen to her position by giving in to peer pressure. She sent Tela a penetrating look as she asked "Spectre Vasir, do you truly believe that you could accomplish your stated goals without compromising our efforts to uncover the truth concerning Relay 314?"

Tela stood resolute "I do Councilor. I have a number of cover identities that would allow me to monitor them with minimal risk to you." It went without saying that Tela would be putting herself in mortal peril.

"And if you are captured, you realize that we will be unable to provide additional support or lobby for your release?"

Tela took a deep breath and released it slowly "I am aware of that as well"

Tevos looked at her fellow councilors one more time before closing her eyes and nodding. Sparatus stood from his seat and the others followed. "Then by the power entrusted to us by our respective governments, we the Council do hereby approve Spectre Vasir's request to pursue all lines of inquiry concerning the undocumented race beyond the Skyllian Verge."

Valern continued where Sparatus left off "Know that the STG and other agencies will do their utmost to bring the matter of Relay 314 to a swift and decisive close. When the incident is put to rest, the full might of the Citadel will be dispatched to aid you in your efforts."

Tevos was the last, and her words were laced with subtle tones of concern "Our thoughts and well wishes go with you as you embark on this most perilous of assignments. Good hunting agent and may the Goddess watch over you."

Tela saluted the three "Thank you Councilors. I wish you luck with your own investigation" She chose her next words carefully for Tevos' sake "I will do anything it takes to complete my mission in a secure and timely fashion." With those parting words Tela turned on her heel and marched out of the room. She had a lot of work ahead of her.

* * *

 **... AN ...**

 **And Tela is on her way! Sorry if the story isn't progressing as fast as you'd like. But I promise things will heat up very soon. I just want to build a solid foundation before getting into the nitty-gritty bits. Hope you still like it.**

 **Now for some personal thoughts/clarification:**

 **The Citadel Council: So the Citadel is the center of the galactic community right? Does this mean that all the governments in Council Space answer to the Council? If so why don't they just send the fleets after the Batarian Hegemony? ****Well here's my answer to those fine questions.**

 **In this story the council only runs the Citadel, (the station itself, the police force 'C-Sec', and the Spectres) which is the hub of galactic commerce and interstellar travel. The Council acts as a sort of administrative body that makes sure that relations between different races stays civil. The issue with this is that managing all those different people is a recipe for disaster.**

 **So to combat the problem the top dogs (The Asari, Salarians, and Turians) have to maintain a certain stranglehold on the galaxy, whether that be through military might or the almighty dollar. Their governments (Asari Republics, Salarian Union, and Turian Hierarchy) are the real power behind the council. This is why they have to actually launch an investigation. To get the bureaucracy of their races' governments moving. The Batarians are not going to give up unless the full weight of the galaxy is brought to bare.**

 **There, sorry for the Huge Author's Note. I'll try to only add these things when I feel something needs explaining. Till next time! :)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello all! And wow 60 Follows and 31 Favs! I'm blown away.**

 **Anyway, sorry about the wait. My sister just had her first kid. She had to induce labor a full month early, so everyone was running around unprepared and I was drafted to help. My little nephew is adorable though so I've got no complaints.**

 **I'm also going back to school this coming Monday, and needed to get ready for classes. In short real life reared it's head and FanFiction just had to wait it's turn.**

 **Now enough excuses! Many reviews await!**

 **Six Samurai: I'll get there, but not for a while yet. Thanks. And upon further reflection you may be right. I'll need to figure out the actual stats to make sure.**

 **Wolfund: Yep, honestly is anyone surprised?**

 **HikariNiwa: I'm glad you think so, and you shall see soon enough. Oh yes... ;)**

 **kingraven1138: Yes they will, both western and eastern. Mad... maybe but you'll just have to wait and see.**

 **OMAC001: You and me both.**

 **The-Incubus: Very true, and you're not the only one to bring up that concern. I'm going to look up the actual stats and alter things accordingly. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I'll try to update quickly. Sadly school is coming and things will get busy.**

 **MADMatt6: Really? That's cool, and if you had ideas you'd like to share you can PM me. Credit will be given where it's due. I'll try not to disappoint. **

**undeadfarmer: Energy Weapons! Yes, I have them! ...But not right now, sorry.**

 **darkfinder: Yep, most people thinks she'd a bit of a bitch. Anyway, hope I can impress.**

 **Done! jeez that was a lot of responses. Not that I'm complaining mind you. But lets just get to the story now shall we? But before that there is one last thing. *sigh***

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing from Mass Effect or Fallout. They belong to Bioware / Electronic Arts and Bethesda Game Studios / Softworks respectively. I make no money on Fallout First Contact nor does anyone I know.**

 **Onward!**

* * *

Liz took a few steadying breaths as she centered her target in the scope. It wasn't likely she'd miss at this range but there was no sense wasting ammo by being careless. "Just a little under 200 yards... alright here we go." she grabbed a stone and tossed it down from the ridge she was currently laying prone.

The radscorpion combing through the scrub below twisted around as it sensed the vibrations of the landing hunk of rock. It primed its stinger and raised its claws in a show of aggression, unfortunately Liz wasn't impressed. A loud shriek pierced the air as a .44 magnum round tore into the scorpion's face, obliterating several eyes. The creature thrashed about, sending splashes of bloody discharge into the dirt. Liz barely batted her eye at the gruesome scene, she'd witnessed much worse after all

Blinded and in pain the creature fell onto its side, exposing its soft underbelly. Liz smirked and sent one more shot into its gut. The giant arthropod gave a few last spasms before letting loose a low death rattle and going still. "Bang your dead" Liz said as she panned over the field, checking for more targets. It wasn't uncommon for radscorpions to travel in pairs, not to mention the numerous scavengers native to the wastes.

Her grandparents had taught Liz everything there was to know about surviving off the land. A huge part of that involved dealing with the wildlife, a lesson Liz had kind of learned the hard way. Forgetting to clear the area after a kill had let a gecko swarm get the jump on her when she was only 7 years old. She'd obviously managed to fight the pests off but her mom had given her a tongue lashing that day that stung even worse than the bites. Liz paused at the memory of her mother, more and more of them had been popping into her head since that morning's news report.

Hannah Shepherd had had a legendary temper, but she'd been a great parent. Since Gramps and Granny had taken over her survival training, Hannah had been the one to teach Liz to shoot. Whenever she'd hit the practice targets, usually sarsaparilla bottles, Hannah would say "Bang! Nice shot baby-girl."

Liz shook off her sudden melancholy and finished her sweep "Ok, looks clear" she muttered under her breath as she stood and made her way down the ridge.

Hunting and scavenging was a good way to stretch your supplies, sometimes it even provided useful materials. Radscorpion poison could be processed for a general anti-venom or used as the main ingredient in a tasty stew. Other than the practical side of things, Liz liked to use it as an excuse to explore. When she was following a trail or just admiring the landscape she could shove her worries aside and just 'be' for a while.

Sometimes, when she was scouting an old-world ruin, her mind would conjure up images of what things must have been like before the bombs fell. Pictures and videos could be found on ruined terminals if you could get them running again, and Liz loved uncovering those half-forgotten shards of the past.

The people of the back-when times captured some amazing things on camera. Snapshots of near alien environments covered in green as far as the eye could see. Startling cityscapes filled with towering spires made of shinning glass and unblemished steel. A photo of the planet Earth taken from the surface of the moon.

Despite her fascination at these awe inspiring sights, it was the pictures of the people themselves that Liz liked the best. A mother feeding an innocent looking child as they sat in the grass under an apple tree. A group of men watching a baseball game in a huge arena while eating hotdogs and drinking beer. A family sitting on a hill unafraid as multicolored explosions went off in a darkened sky.

Nowadays mothers had to teach their kids how to take care of themselves, innocence was fleeting for all but the most sheltered. Men were more likely to watch a cage match between gladiators than waste time on a simple baseball game. Explosions of any kind were a thing to avoid, signaling an imminent bandit raid or a battle between warring factions. But in the end all that didn't matter. There was little use in complaining. Life was hard and people had to adapt.

Liz's dropped her idle musings as she made it to her prize. She slung her trail carbine over a shoulder and looked over the scorpion's carcass with a measuring gaze. It was a decent sized specimen, around 4 feet long with a healthy looking carapace. "Should give me a few pounds of meat and a nice big poison gland." she said as she pulled her skinning knife from its place in her boot. "Well, now comes the fun part..." she looked around the area once more before pulling down her goggles, pulling up her scarf, and plunging the blade into the radscorpion's abdomen.

Liz expertly dressed her kill and stowed the bounty away in a leather sack. She looked up at the sun's position to get a bearing on the time as she cleaned up with a rag and water from her canteen. The sun was just past its zenith, so she'd been hunting for some time now. "Better get back to the convoy before Granny starts to worry." Liz shrugged the meat sack across her shoulders and readied her carbine for the trek back to the I-15. She'd probably fallen behind by now, so she'd have to angle herself east on the way back.

 **… Scene Change …**

Shepherd's boots left prints in the sand as she walked west along the road that most folks called the Long 15. She'd grown up on this road, living the nomadic life of the caravans. It showed in the way she expertly maneuvered through the burnt out wrecks that littered the lanes, and the way her eyes picked out all the potential ambush spots.

At the moment however she was more concerned about the lack of Brahmin tracks that signaled a convoy's passing. By now the group her family was traveling with should have been ahead of her, not behind. Something had to have held them up and she needed to find out what. Liz fought down her anxiety as thoughts of crimson clad Legionaries wielding bloody machetes drifted through her mind. "Damn it, I hope everything's alright." She said to herself as she hopped over a rusty hunk of metal.

The next few hours or so were spent in much the same way. Liz would worry, check her surroundings for danger, curse a bit, and then repeat, all while making her way steadily west. "Ya know…" She said in an attempt to distract herself. The sun continued to sink lower in the sky and there'd been no sign of anyone "I really need to stop talking to myself." She continued to contradict her words as she kicked a small rock and watched it smack into a dead semi-truck "I mean it gives away my position, makes me seem like some weirdo loaner, and dries my throat out to boot."

She jumped up onto a wrecked convertible and peered down the road through her scope. "Granny gets on my case for it too." She lowered her gun and continued on her way "It's always 'Lizzy you stop your yammering now ya hear me! You sound like some kind of crazy when you go on like that.' Then she gives me The Look. Then Gramps starts laughing about how I'm just like mom…" Liz trailed off as she inadvertently brought her mother up yet again. She sighed "Fucking hell… this is really getting old." She decided to clam up for a while, lest she prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had some major issues.

As dusk started to paint the horizon in shades of yellow and orange Liz came to an abrupt halt. She cocked her head to the side and focused on the faint sounds of yelling mixed with the occasional clang of metal. She crouched down and snuck towards the source, using every trick she knew to stay undetected. Before long she got close enough to make out words. It was a woman's voice, and oddly enough it was somewhat familiar "Argh! Start already you fucking overpriced piece of shit!"

Liz raised an eyebrow as she recognized the voice of that tattooed lady from Dusty's place. She crept along a ruined bus and peeked around the side, levelling her carbine towards an abandoned Poseidon Energy station. Sure enough, she spotted the older woman yelling in frustration as she beat on an unusually new looking motor cycle. "Well," she whispered as she centered the lady's head in her scope "didn't think I'd ever see her again."

For a moment Liz thought about putting a round between the lady's eyes. Not a nice thought to be sure, but the world was rarely a nice place and Liz was on her own right now. She had to look out for herself, even if that meant taking a human life. But as her trigger finger began to curl a little voice in the back of her mind, which sounded suspiciously like Mr. New Vegas, made her reconsider the action. "A helping hand huh… well here goes nothing. Sure hope it doesn't bite me in the ass." She lowered her rifle and raised her voice as she greeted the potential bandit/bounty hunter. "Hey need some help with that?"

The tattooed lady reacted instantly, moving into cover and bringing her shotgun around to Liz's position. The whole thing was done in a smooth almost elegant fashion that proved the lady knew her way around a firefight. The words shouted back however were far less impressive "Fuck! Don't come any closer bitch, or I will destroy you!"

Liz rolled her eyes at the almost cliché response. But that didn't stop her from ducking back into cover herself. "Yeah, I'm sure you will. Listen, if I wanted to kill you your brains would be splattered all over the wall right now." Liz waited a few seconds but didn't get a response "Hey you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah just give me a sec!" Liz heard a low resonant humming sound and tensed up a bit. For all she knew the lady had some kind of energy weapon on her. The things were expensive and hard to maintain but there was no denying their power.

"Alright just be cool. I'm only trying to lend a helping hand here. Ya know like a Good Samaritan." She brought her gun back up just in case.

"Samara-what?" The lady poked her head over the barricade and got her first clear look at Liz. Her brow furrowed as she said "What the fuck? Aren't you that kid who fixed up Dusty's shitty radio?"

Liz's eye twitched at the 'kid' comment but she tried to keep the irritation out of her response. When she had put a lid on her temper "I'm almost sixteen you ass!" …well mostly, she stood up and lowered her weapon with a scowl.

The lady chuckled at that, but followed suit "Alright calm the fuck down brat." A smirk was pulling her lips up at the corners "You can't exactly blame me for thinking you were younger." She slung up her shotgun and made a cupping gesture over her chest "I mean it's not like you've got a huge pair of tits or an ass to make it obvious."

Liz sputtered and strode forward indignantly. She stopped a few feet from her former target and crossed her arms while cocking her hip. "Who the hell uses things like that to gauge a person's age!?" She pointed at the now grinning lady "You're not exactly stacked yourself you bitch!" The woman was about a foot taller than her and sporting a modest C-cup. Liz squashed a familiar flair of frustration at her still petite build. Granny said that Shepherd women tended to be late bloomers but that didn't make her feel that much better right now.

"Yeah but with me you can just tell I've seen some shit." She crossed her own arms but her tone was still teasing "And stop your yapping, it's about as intimidating as a baby mole rat."

Liz opened her mouth to retort but stopped as she thought better of it. The lady was obviously messing with her, why play along. She huffed as she pushed past the lady, over to the motor cycle, and started gathering up the scattered tools "Whatever, just shut up and let me get a look at this thing."

Liz ignored the lady's quiet laughter as she inspected the bike's engine. Whoever had restored it did a pretty good job, some of the parts even looked newly fabricated. The biggest issue was that the Lady obviously didn't do regular maintenance. The oil needed changing and a lot of the pieces seemed to have been jarred loose by rough handling. "You really think you can get it to work?" The lady said as she leaned against a nearby wall.

Liz hummed absentmindedly as she kept on poking around. She checked the battery, and sparkplugs but they all seemed to be in good enough condition. She moved on to the wiring next, disconnected the kill switch to check the coil. "Don't know for sure but I'm willing to try. Where'd you even get this thing? People hardly ever use motorized transports nowadays." She picked up the Lady's volt meter and checked the connections and starter.

"I got it from this greasy little fucker who opened up a shop on the strip a couple of weeks back. He apparently knows some guys or whatever who put cars and shit together from old wrecks. They're getting pretty popular and there's even talk about organizing some races out in the wastes."

"No kidding? Well I'm heading over to Vegas soon, maybe I'll take a look at his stock." She verified that the coil had a weak signal and smirked as she cracked her knuckles and started to work her mechanical mojo.

The lady was struck speechless as Liz started rewiring things seemingly at random then applying far more duct tape than any engine had ever needed. Ever. After simply staring at the humming redhead for a few minutes, the lady ran out of patience "Ok what the hell are you doing?"

Liz grinned as she finished up, closing the engine casing, hiding her alterations. Making a grand sweeping gesture towards the newly jury-rigged bike, Liz started speaking with the voice of a professional preacher "Just showing my devotion to the holy tape of the duct, oh ye of many ink stains. Soon, you too shall bear witness to the miracles of the divine adhesive and those who hold its favor." She put her hands on her hips and continued in a normal voice "Try starting it up. I put together a bypass so it should work now, I promise."

The lady gave her a less than subtle look of disbelief, but mounted the bike anyway. She hit the ignition and her eyebrows shot up as the motor revved and the dashboard came to life. "Well fuck me sideways, it actually worked." She looked at Liz with a faint glimmer of respect in her eyes "Ok brat, I'm impressed. How much for the repair?" She shut the bike down and moved over to her pack for some caps.

Liz smiled as she waved the lady off. "Honestly you don't need to pay me. It was a simple fix and it's always nice to be able to work on something like that. It lets me practice my skills. Keeps me sharp."

The lady raised an eyebrow and looked Liz in the eye for a moment before shrugging "Fine, whatever." She stood and looked toward the darkening horizon "Only about an hour before sundown, you got a place to camp for the night?"

Liz frowned as she was reminded about her family's unknown fate and the approaching night. "No, but I think I'll keep on going. I've got people I need to meet up with."

The Lady looked back at her "You mean the geezer from the bar? That deep voiced guy with all the scars and squinty eyes."

Liz snorted at the description, gramps was old and he'd definitely gotten that way by being really hard to kill. Liz nodded "Yeah him and my Grandma too. They own a trading convoy that runs all over the Mojave, and even to the NCR. They're the most experienced pair of traders you'll find this side of the Divide." The last was said with more than a hint of pride. The Shepherds were one of the few companies that survived the rise of the Crimson Caravan monopoly. She was pretty sure The CC still had an open offer posted for their contracts and shipping rights.

"That just means they're fucking old." The lady said with a chuckle. Her mirth drained away quickly as she continued "You do know that traveling at night can be damn near suicidal. Especially this far away from a settlement."

Liz shifted uneasily but gave no sign that she would change her mind, even if the lady was right. A lot of really dangerous creatures were more active when the sun went down. Packs of rabid coyotes, the aptly named night stalkers, deathclaws, the list went on and on. "I know, and I don't care. My folks would walk through fire for me. I'd never be able to live with myself if anything happened to them. Especially if I could have done something about it." Mere danger wouldn't stop Liz from making sure her family was ok, nothing would.

The lady looked at her incredulously but Liz just set her jaw and crossed her arms stubbornly. The lady realized the futility of trying to talk Liz out of it, so she pinched the bridge of her nose and hissed out a few very exasperated words "Fucking noble dumbasses." She turned away, grabbing her pack off the ground and shoving the tools into one of her bike's saddlebags. "Well let's get a move on. If we're lucky, we'll reach your people before something big and hungry finds us."

Liz didn't bother hiding her surprise at the lady's declaration "Wha..? You're coming with me?"

"It's not like I want to idiot!" She grabbed the handlebars and guided the bike to the road "But I can't just let you go out there especially after you went out of your way to help me. You wouldn't last more than a minute if something got the jump on you. And you heard the news," She lowered the kickstand and started lashing her pack to the bike's side "the Legion would just love to snatch up a pretty little lady wandering the wastes all alone."

Liz scowled at the lady as her pride was stung by the words "Hey! I can look after myself just fine thank you very much! And who exactly was it that got the jump on who like ten minutes ago hmm?"

The lady scowled right back "Oh just cool it kid. There's a huge difference between that and walking around the badlands at night." A cocky smile spread across her face "Besides, you wouldn't last two seconds with me in an actual fight."

The redhead's temper flared, all her pent up stress and frustration feeding the flames "Want to bet?" Liz hopped away from the lady as she reached for the 10mm pistol strapped to her thigh. But before she could actually draw, something impossible happened. The lady jabbed a palm towards her and a blue orb shot out, impacting Liz's torso and diffusing over her whole body. "What the shit!?" Liz cursed as gravity apparently decided to take a break, making her float upwards without control.

Instinctively she started to windmill her arms for balance, but this just caused her to spin around in midair. As she fought to right herself a part of her mind registered the same humming sound she'd heard when she and the lady had first started talking. Whatever this was produced some sort of energy field and the hum meant it was charged up.

The lady smirked upward as Liz continued to flail around. Just when the younger woman had finally managed to level out, gravity got off its lazy ass and started working again. She fell half a dozen feet back to the ground and landed hard on her belly, causing her lungs to empty themselves painfully. She spun onto her back and gasped for air but froze as a shotgun barrel was pressed right up against her chest.

The lady's face was now devoid of all amusement as she spoke in a dangerously monotone voice "That was pretty stupid of you brat. You're old enough to know what going for your weapon means out here."

Liz just narrowed her eyes. The lingering anger driving her common sense out the window. "Screw you bitch!"

The older woman's eyes widened with a mix of shock and some other emotion Liz couldn't readily identify. After a minute long stare-down the lady snorted and abruptly pulled her shotgun away. "Damn, is this what the old man felt like back then?" Liz snapped out of her daze at the odd turn around. Her anger abruptly left her but before she could do anything the lady held out her hand with a grin. "You're fucking insane kid. But I like that, so it probably says something about my own screwed up personality." Liz hesitantly gripped the offered hand and let herself be pulled to her feet.

"Um, thanks I guess?" She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly "And well... sorry about that, I've been a little on edge today."

The lady just shrugged and mounted her bike. "I know what that's like, believe me." She revved the engine and looked over her shoulder at the completely perplexed younger woman "Well don't just stand there gawking, get the fuck on!"

Liz took a quick inventory, making sure she hadn't lost anything in her impromptu flight session. When she was done she gingerly settled herself on the backseat and gripped the lady's torso. The Lady nodded once before hitting the accelerator and starting off down the road.

It occurred to Liz that this entire situation was getting a little ridiculous. She'd just met the lady and now they were traveling together. They hadn't even introduced themselves yet! As they started to pick up speed Liz decided that if this was actually going to happen she might as well go all in "Hey," she said, raising her voice above the sound of the engine "I'm Elizabeth by the way. But call me Liz, most everyone does."

The lady glanced at her with a slight smirk "The names Jack, don't fuck with me and we should get along just fine." Liz nodded and the two companions lapsed into silence. Liz still had a bunch of questions for her new acquaintance, especially about the freaky telekinesis, but it'd have to wait until after she found her grandparents. They were all she had in the world, and she'd be damned before she let anyone take them away from her.

* * *

 **... AN ...**

 **Well things are starting to warm up. Did any of you see this coming? I threw a very tiny hint in about Jack towards the end of chapter 1. This should be the last purely set up segment for Liz, things will start getting exciting in the next chapter.**

 **Next are some thoughts and clarification stuff, don't read if you don't care.**

 **Jury-Rigging: I'm not a very tech savvy person, so when I get stuff like that wrong please feel free to point it out. I was basically BS-ing the whole bike repair scene with my extremely limited knowledge of motor vehicles. It was a little painful when I went back and re-read it but their was little I could do except slap on some humor and call it a day. "Praise the almighty Roll! The tape of the duct aids its chosen few in their times of need!" *Coughs* Yeah...**

 **Jack's Biotics: In Mass Effect Cannon Element Zero is nearly non-existent in the Sol System but so is Alien blaster ammo in Fallout. Who's to say some eezo never made it to Earth via meteor impacts or whatever. Also I've got a whole original backstory for Jack that I'm toying around with right now.**

 **Energy Weapons: Yep, one of the biggest differences between Mass Effect Tech and its Fallout counterpart. Like I said before I'm not a super technical person, so the exact science escapes me. I'll do the research and try my best to get things right but please be patient with me. I am but a lowly FanFiction writer. **

**NOTE: If anyone is willing to help me with the details on Energy Weapons (or tech stuff in general) I'd be eternally grateful.**

 **... Thoughts/Clarification end ...**

 **There we go, all done for now. Do any of you have some thoughts you'd like to share, some criticism just chomping at the bit to jump at me? I'm really interested in some feedback.**

 **Besides that I hope you enjoyed Chapter 3. Till next time.**


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